Tonight at 10 p.m., local quartet Sangamon is playing WEFT Sessions. You can listen at 90.1 FM or stream it online at weft.org.
Sangamon’s James Treichler (full disclosure: also a Smile Politely writer) answered some questions by email yesterday, as he was preparing to head to the Darling Disarm show at Mike ‘n Molly’s.
Smile Politely: Can you give a little history of Sangamon?
Sangamon: Sangamon originally started in January of 2007 with no greater intentions than to have some fun and play some shows. Shay, Tyler, and James all knew each other independently from growing up in Decatur. Shay, having just finished a music performance degree at ISU, was writing songs at a feverish pace, and Tyler and James had worked together on several projects before, so the rest fell into place. Sean (bassist), also from Decatur, was attending the University and helped us round out our sound. In September 2008, Tyler moved to Boston to be with his girlfriend, so the three remaining members have taken to performing as a trio. Seeing as that our sound has changed so much, we intend to release a new album under a new name within a few months.
Smile Politely: Whereabouts do you live? What brings you to east central Illinois?
Sangamon: Shay and James share a house near downtown Champaign, and, unfortunately, Sean calls Columbus, Indiana home for the time being. The culture of Champaign (compared to Decatur), made this a great town to set up shop. Sean and James attended the University, Shay moved here fully to pursue music.
Smile Politely: Will you go with your standard lineup for the program?
Sangamon: Yes, our standard lineup is Shay on vocals and keyboard, James on drums, and Sean on bass.
Smile Politely: Have you played for a radio show before? Any complications or advantages that you expect?
Sangamon: We played WEFT sessions in November 2007. We had a different lineup at the time, so this will be a different experience with a different sound. Being a trio, we have bold and deliberate instrumentation…we’re usually a sound guys dream (haha). The last time at WEFT, they treated us with so much respect and Todd Hunter is truly a saint for the efforts he’s put into this scene. We’re looking forward to it!
Smile Politely: How does the songwriting process work for you?
Sangamon: Shay seems to always have about ten songs floating around in his head. Living together, James is usually taking notice of new ideas as they come to light so by the time the real production starts most of the groundwork has been laid. We really pretty heavily on technology to make our process efficient, using recording software to easily transpose keys, change arrangements, tempos, etc… It’s a fun process to see how our independent influences find their ways into songs at different times. Shay is great with chord progressions, melody, etc…, James comes in to add the rhythm and arrangements. With the trio, we leave much room for Sean to be creative. We’re all very vocal about constructing each others parts, which is an important trait when hoping to continually improve.
Smile Politely: How would you describe your sound for someone who’s never heard your music before?
Sangamon: Our sound is rooted in Shay’s vocals and songwriting techniques, but we explore diverse styles throughout our set; from dance to downtempo, rock to acoustic, sinister to heavenly : ) We attempt to write music that is creative and clever while also accessible.
Smile Politely: Was there a moment when you realized that you wanted to be a musician? How did that come about?
Sangamon: The gratitude from listeners is something to live for. Of course, it’s great to have an amazing turnout for a show, but having even one person love your show makes any performance worthwhile. Anyone who has seen us perform knows that there’s real work going into the creation of our music, and with so many entertaining acts to ‘compete’ with, we’re humbled by any kind word. With that said, that feeling on stage is something that is impossible for us to imagine letting go of … at least at this point.
Smile Politely: What’s a singer or band that you’ve been compared to that you don’t think is representative at all, and why not?
Sangamon: That’s a tough question. I think when we started we were easily compared to Coldplay simply on our instrumentation and sound. We’re still experimenting with different sounds, but of our current set, I’d say that only two or three songs could even be in the same genre with Coldplay, so I’d like to think that we’ve shed that comparison. People tend to want something to latch onto for discussions sake, so comparing us to one of the most popular bands in the world would seem easy.
Smile Politely: What is the greatest album of all time? Why?
Sangamon: DK, maybe The Mollusk by Ween? I wish there were a great definitive answer for this. As for real influences, we could safely list: Beach Boys, Radiohead, Scissor Sisters, Tchaikovsky, My Morning Jacket, and Dave Bowie.
Smile Politely: What was your favorite band when you were in junior high?
Sangamon: Smashing Pumpkins
Smile Politely: What do you do for a living?
Sangamon: Shay plays music, James and Sean work for the man : (
Smile Politely: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Sangamon: Shay honestly plays piano at least 5 hours a day on average, and otherwise is playing FIFA soccer on PS3. James rides his bike, watches Seinfeld reruns, and is pursuing his degrees. Sean is usually found on I-74, or working too hard for the man.
Smile Politely: Would you like to say anything else that wasn’t covered in these questions?
Sangamon: Thank you for your time! We’re really hoping to get our ducks in a row and make a splash next semester. Listen to the radio show and give us your feedback… we have a site at www.sangamonmusic.com.